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Kakya Taymut, Pendleton Bird Club Newsletter Volume 13 No. 3 March, 2015 Page 1
Newsletter of The Pendleton Bird Club
Kákya Táymut KUK-yuh TIE-moot, Umatilla Indian Translation: Bird News
tember or October, and birders are anxiously
awaiting their return. Below is a listing of some
of the birds that will arrive in Umatilla County
between mid-April and mid-May. Hopefully,
you will visit your favorite birding haunts to
witness spring migration as birds repopulate
Umatilla County and surrounding areas for the
nesting season.
Contributed by Aaron Skirvin
HIS IS AN EXCITING TIME of year for
birders. Over the next 75 days, hundreds of
millions of birds will be moving northward
from their wintering areas in the southern
US, Mexico, and Central and South America to their
breeding habitats in the US and Canada. Hundreds of
thousands of them will pass through Umatilla County, and
many will stay to nest here. Most species involved in this
mass migration haven’t been seen locally since last Sep-
Volume 13, No. 3 March, 2015 Pendleton, Oregon
Blue-winged Teal
Lesser Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Franklin’s Gull
Forster’s Tern
Red-necked Phalarope
Wilson’s Phalarope
Flammulated Owl
Common Poorwill
White-throated Swift
Vaux’s Swift
Calliope Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Black-chin. Hummingbird
Lewis’s Woodpecker
Western Kingbird
Dusky Flycatcher
“Western” Flycatcher
Hammond’s Flycatcher
Warbling Vireo
Cassin’s Vireo
N. Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Bank Swallow
House Wren
Yellow Warbler
Townsend’s Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Orange-cr. Warbler
Wilson’s Warbler
MacGillivray’s Warbler
Western Tanager
Green-tailed Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Brewer’s Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Black-headed Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Bullock’s Oriole
Gambel’s White-crowned Spar-
row (peak of spring migration)
Spring Migration’s Underway but More to Come
Kakya Taymut, Pendleton Bird Club Newsletter Volume 13 No. 3 March, 2015 Page 2
Bird Migration Unfolds on BirdCast
B irdCast, http://birdcast.info/forecasts/, is a
webpage by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
with predictions of weekly bird migrations
across the United States. After a short “Continental
Summary,” the site features a nation-wide, time
lapse, weather forecast for the week, including
wind speed and direction, and precipitation. It’s
helpful to click on “-” (in the lower right corner of
the weather map) to slow down the speed of the
time lapse. Next are the migration summaries, bro-
ken down into the following four regions: Upper
Midwest and Northeast, Gulf Coast and Southeast,
Great Plains, and West. Each of these sections has a
short regional forecast summary, followed by lists
of “Species on the Move” divided into Beginning
to Arrive, Arriving, Peaking, and Departing. The
lists include the date each species is expected to
arrive or leave and the expected migration peak.
These bird lists are based on years of data from
eBird, an online tool for birders to keep track of
bird sightings. It’s educational and fun to check
out the lists, especially if you are traveling to an
unfamiliar region of the country. Remember that
the lists are region-wide, and some species may not
be found in all areas. For example, the first bird on
this week’s West list is Lucy’s Warbler, a bird of
the desert southwest, not found in eastern Oregon.
Also remember that topography, local microcli-
mates, habitat availability, and food resources can
affect the birds that you find in your favorite bird-
ing places.
Contributed by Jean Reiher
April Bird Club Meeting
6:30 p.m., Thursday, April 9, 2015
Potluck at 6:30
followed by
Hummingbird
Banding in Idaho
Presented by: Carl Rudeen
Pendleton First Christian Church
215 North Main Street, Pendleton
May Bird Club Meeting
7:00 p.m., Thursday, May 14, 2015
Hummingbirds
As Pollinators
Presented by: Barbara Clark
Pendleton First Christian Church
215 North Main Street, Pendleton
Calendar of Events
Kakya Taymut, Pendleton Bird Club Newsletter Volume 13 No. 3 March, 2015 Page 3
Why Are Bluebirds Blue?
“It’s a trick of the light"
Why are bluebirds blue? Unlike many other bird
colors, blue is not a pigment but a color produced
by the structure of the
feathers. Tiny air
pockets and melanin
pigment crystals in
each feather scatter
blue light and absorb
the other wave-
lengths. The even
finer structure of the
feather gathers the bouncing blue wavelengths
together and directs them outward — a trick of the
light.
To listen to today’s two-minute program, click on the link below then click on the (Play) button:
http://birdnote.org/show/why-are-bluebirds-blue
BirdNote │ Stories about birds, the environment and more.
Cool Facts About...Woodpeckers
From the “cool facts” below, identify the species in each photo. Answers are on Page 10.
Strongly migratory, this bird prefers to find food on the ground; ants are its main food. Generally nest in holes in trees but have nested in earthen Belted Kingfisher burrows.
The largest sapsucker. Distinc-tive plumage; striking color difference between male and female. Drills sap wells in conif-erous trees then returns to eat sap and insects foraging at sap wells.
Found from sea level to high in the mountains. Tends to spend more time foraging on tree trunks and large branches than smaller branches. Help to con-trol bark beetle outbreaks in infested forests.
Often an acrobatic forager, is at home on tiny branches or balancing on slender galls, sycamore seed balls and suet feeders. Frequent members of mixed flocks including chicka-dees and nuthatches,
A. ________________________ B. ________________________ C. ________________________ D. ________________________
I am particularly attracted to willow
thickets in the West and across Canada.
Look for my black cap and yellow under-
parts for easy identification.
My favorite breeding habitats are ripar-
ian, including edges of beaver ponds,
lakes and bogs and overgrown clear-cuts
of montane and boreal zone.
My population is in decline in the West,
likely due to loss of breeding habitat
(western riparian woodlands).
Who Am I?
Kakya Taymut, Pendleton Bird Club Newsletter Volume 13 No. 3 March, 2015 Page 4
T HE REDHEAD IS A FAIRLY common duck in Umatilla County. The males are con-
spicuous with their rusty-red heads and
necks, grayish sides, black around the chest and tail,
and a bluish bill with a black tip. The females are
mostly mottled brown but also have the bluish bill
and yellow eyes.
Redheads nest in perennial marshes, wetlands, and
ponds in the prairie region of the northern US and
southern Canada, the Pacific Northwest, and central
Alaska. After the mating period,
the males leave the breeding ar-
eas, usually flying north to larger
bodies of water. Here, they un-
dergo a molt which leaves them
flightless for about 30 days.
The females, of course, remain to
make nests and lay eggs. The
nest is usually concealed in
rushes or marsh grass over shal-
low water. Now, the hens do one
of three things. They make their
nest and lay and incubate their
eggs themselves. Or, they may
lay some eggs in their nest and
lay a few in the nests of other
female Redheads or other spe-
cies of ducks. And, the third option, called “brood
parasitism”, is to lay all of their eggs in the nests of
other ducks, letting the other hens incubate the eggs
and take care of the ducklings. Canvasback is appar-
ently the chief victim of the Redhead’s brood parasit-
ism, but other species are readily parasitized as well.
Statistics do show, however, that the parasitized eggs
do not have as good a chance of surviving as those
the Redhead broods herself. It is interesting to note,
however, that Redhead babies raised by other species
grow up and retain their identity as Redheads later in
life.
Redheads are in the family of Pochards that are div-
ing ducks. Redheads may occasionally dabble as
well. Their fall migration follows set patterns. The
westerly Redheads follow the Pacific Flyway and
many spend the winter in San Francisco Bay and
south to the west coast of Mexico. The vast majority
of Redheads follow the Mississippi Flyway to spend
the winter on the Gulf Coast.
Redheads are mostly vegetarian, feeding on aquatic
plants and some mollusks. This makes them a popular
duck for hunters as they are
one of the best ducks to
prepare for eating.
According to the results of
a US Fish and Wildlife Ser-
vice survey in 2009, there
were approximately 1 mil-
lion Redheads in the
United States and Canada.
While these numbers are
impressive, loss of habitat
is a threat to greatly dimin-
ishing the number of Red-
heads, as well as other wa-
terfowl.
Redheads are distinguished
from Canvasbacks by their rounded head and bluish
bill. The Canvasback has a strongly sloping forehead
and, in breeding season, the males have much whiter
sides and backs. Redhead males also have a rather
distinctive call that is described something like a cat
meowing.
The scientific name of Aythya is taken from a seabird
mentioned by Aristotle and others but not further
identified. The name has since been associated with
several other diving ducks. The specific name, ameri-
cana, refers to American, where almost all Redheads
dwell.
(See Redhead, Continued on page 7)
Bird Of The Month Redhead (Aythya americana)
Contributed by June Whitten
Redhead, male, photo by Greg Lavaty.
Kakya Taymut, Pendleton Bird Club Newsletter Volume 13 No. 3 March, 2015 Page 5
Moonbird: The Toughest
Four Ounces of Life on Earth
Editor’s Note: A few months ago, PBC member Andrew Clark sent
Jack Simons an email with an attached article from the Spring 2014
edition of Bird Conservation magazine. The article was about the epic
journeys of a small shorebird known as the rufa Red Knot (Calidris
canutus rufa). After reading the article and digging deeper into the
amazing feats of this bird, Jack thought it worthwhile to share the
story of the rufa Red Knot with our readers. Although the Red Knot
has only been recorded once in Umatilla County, it is an uncommon
but regular fall migrant and occasional winter resident along coastal
Oregon, and our Red Knots are considered the roselaari rather than
the rufa subspecies that occurs along the east coast. The sad plight of
the rufa Red Knot is an example of the unintended consequences that
some human activities have on populations of birds and other wildlife.
In the article below, Jack summarizes the information provided in
Bird Conservation magazine and two US Fish & Wildlife Services
webpages: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/redknot/ and http://
www.fws.gov/northeast/pdf/horseshoe.fs.pdf .
ierra del Fuego...as in Argentina...as in an archi-
pelago off the southernmost tip of the South
American mainland. We are talking so far south
that the only thing further south would be Antarc-
tica. Tierra del Fuego is the starting point of our story about a
small shorebird that was banded along with several hundred
other Red Knots by researchers in February 1995.
Likely, all of these birds have since died (with the exception of
our lone survivor) because the aver-
age life span of a rufa Red Knot is
seven to eight years. That sole survi-
vor bears a leg band with the in-
scription “B95” and is now known
by bird enthusiasts and conserva-
tionists as Moonbird. This amazing
four ounces of energy has logged as
many miles as it takes to fly to the
moon...and halfway back – 320,000
miles!
Tagged as a juvenile, B95 will
spend its winters in Tierra del
Fuego then in the spring begin its
epic 8,900-mile journey northward
to its breeding grounds in the Canadian tundra near the Arctic
Circle. By autumn, Red Knots reverse their journey and travel
southward on their 20-inch wingspans another 8,900 miles to
their wintering grounds in southern Argentina, making this bird
one of the longest-distance migrants in the animal kingdom (see
map on Page 7).
On its northward journey to the breeding grounds,
Moonbird will land at a staging area in Delaware
Bay. In mid-May, knots historically made their way
to this location to feed on horseshoe crab eggs.
Timed correctly – and starving at this point in their
migration – knots devoured the myriad protein-rich
green crab eggs essential for their migration to their
breeding grounds. It is estimated that nearly 90 per-
cent of the entire population of the Red Knot sub-
species rufa can be present on the bay in a single
day. This of course makes them very vulnerable to
both human-caused and climate-caused interac-
tions.
Unfortunately, in the lifetime of Moonbird the rufa
population of Red Knots has nose-dived from
150,000 to about 30,000 individuals due to prob-
lems associated with climate change and overfish-
ing of horseshoe crabs.
The horseshoe crab has been an evolutionary survi-
vor with an ancestry that can be traced back over
400 million years, which means horseshoe crabs
lived before the dinosaurs and survived the great
asteroid event that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 mil-
lion years ago. Because of intense harvesting of
horseshoe crabs in Delaware Bay, the reduction in
food available to migrating Red Knots may be re-
sponsible for the decline in Red Knot populations.
In addition to
their role as a
food source for
migratory birds,
horseshoe crabs
provide bait for
commercial
American eel
and conch fish-
eries along the
east coast. Their
unique blood is
also used by the
biomedical in-
dustry to pro-
duce Limulus
Amoebocyte Lysate (LAL), a clotting agent that
aids in the detection of human pathogens in pa-
tients, drugs, and intravenous devices. No other
procedure has the same accuracy as the LAL test.
(See Moonbird, Continued on page 7)
Moonbird / B95. Photo by Patricia M. Gonzales
Kakya Taymut, Pendleton Bird Club Newsletter Volume 13 No. 3 March, 2015 Page 6
F INALLY, I CAN GO OUTDOORS without bun-
dling up. With the changing from winter into
spring come wildlife, birds, and all the
shades of green. This week even brought sev-
eral days of blue skies. Amen.
There are six pairs of Common Mergansers paired up
along the river. I was blessed this week as I stood in
awe as a male showed off for his mate. It was one of
our rare sunny afternoons and he stood proudly on the
river bank showing her his blue green head, bright red
bill, his artistically painted white and black body. His
feathers were so perfect that they looked painted on.
He stood there with his brilliant
orange feet neatly beneath his
body.
Two pairs of Hooded Mergan-
sers appear about once a week.
It is such a rare sight that I stand
and take in their beauty until
they see me and fly off. The
males are proudly displaying
their raised crests for their
mates. I never tire of these sweet
and beautiful birds.
At least two pairs of Barrow’s
Goldeneyes make an appearance
almost always on the same days
as the Hooded Mergansers do.
The female’s heads are choco-
late brown with their small
golden eyes showing in the
sunlight. Their mates of course
are in their full glory.
Only four of the Great Blue
Heron nests are active this year.
For two days a lone Heron stood in nest five but flew
off never to return on the third day. All four pairs are
sitting on eggs as this month comes to a close. I get to
enjoy the rolling of the eggs if I am out at just the right
time.
Lesser Goldfinch, House Finch, and House Sparrows
are appearing everywhere. The male Ring-necked
Pheasants are beginning to make their territorial warn-
ing calls more and more. I have yet to see one but I
expect it will be any day now.
Last weekend, as the sun was rising into the morning
sky, a lone Canada Goose came flying just above the
river honking as it headed into the sunrise. It was truly
a beautiful sight. Almost daily now I can either see
them or hear them as they are migrating north.
I am really concerned about our lack of rain and snow
this winter. The river is at the level right now that we
normally see in August. The Osprey should be return-
ing within the next two weeks. It looks like it might be
a tough year for them and fishing to feed their young. I
will watch closely.
My favorite sighting this month was watching a Black-
crowned Night-Heron as it slept
in a barren tree. He was high up in
the tree standing on one of his
yellow legs, his white plume gen-
tly moving in the morning breeze.
Two American Crows came by
and dive-bombed the tree, which
woke him up, and he quickly
dropped his other yellow leg
down and grabbed on to the
branch beneath his feet. His eyes
opened to reveal their red color.
He slowly stretched out one wing
and then brought it back to his
side. He then stretched out the
other one and brought that one
back to his side. He then slowly
walked along the branch and went
deeper into the tree toward the
center as the crows flew back
across the river towards their nest.
When I write to you next month
spring will be in full bloom and
my sightings should be bringing great joy to my life.
Ani
By Anita Crawford
You can read more stories
by visiting my blog at http://anicraw.wordpress.com/
Kakya Taymut, Pendleton Bird Club Newsletter Volume 13 No. 3 March, 2015 Page 7
Update: Late in the fall of 2014, the rufa Red Knot
was listed as a federally threatened species under
the United States Endangered Species Act – the
most critical status that can be awarded to a sub-
species. This followed a decade of intensive peti-
tioning by environmental organizations and a law-
suit against the Department of the Interior for al-
leged negligence in the protection of endangered
species through failure to evaluate and list them.
The reasons for the rufa Red Knot’s listing were
varied, including habitat degradation, loss of key
food supplies, and threats posed by climate change
and sea level rise. Red Knots may be particularly
vulnerable to climate change, which is likely to
affect:
the arctic tundra ecosystem where the knots
breed;
coastal habitats due to rising sea levels;
food resources throughout the bird’s range; and
storm and weather patterns.
Conservation organizations have also petitioned the
US Fish & Wildlife Service to protect the roselaari
Red Knot as threatened under the ESA. But, so far,
the agency has found that “…the petition seeking to
protect roselaari subspecies of red knot (Calidris
canutus roselaari) under the Endangered Species
Act (ESA) does not present substantial information
to indicate that protection may be warranted.” More
information about the agency’s decision may be
found at http://www.fws.gov/alaska/fisheries/
fieldoffice/fairbanks/pdf/red_knot_faq.pdf
It is depressing that we live during a time of neglect
and selfishness concerning the environment we live
in, but it is also true that hope and change usher in a
new tomorrow that can be inspired by the smallest,
most innocuous amongst us – even a four-ounce
bird that has flown as many miles in its lifetime as
it takes to fly to the moon and half way back.
Submitted by Jack Simons
(Moonbird, Continued from page 5)
(Redhead, Continued from Page 4)
Redheads can often be found, especially in winter, in the
ponds at the McNary Wildlife Nature Area and on the Colum-
bia River and its tributaries. During spring, they can be found
at McKay Creek NWR, Wanaket, Ukiah sewer ponds, and
other smaller ponds in Umatilla County.
Submitted by June Whitten
Some of the information for this article was derived from:
http://www.ducks.org/hunting/waterfowl-id/redhead#ad-image-0
and
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Redhead/id
Kakya Taymut, Pendleton Bird Club Newsletter Volume 13 No. 3 March, 2015 Page 8
ENERALLY THE WEATHER this
report period has had above normal tem-
peratures and below normal precipitation.
It appears in some cases, spring migrants
are arriving in the area earlier than normal. It will be
interesting to see how migration progresses throughout
the spring.
February 15, Jeff and Colleen Blackwood saw 2 Short-
eared Owls while on a walk near their home on the
north side of the Umatilla River near Mission.
February 20, June and Duane Whitten and Diana and
Rocky Dillenburg checked the York Road vicinity and
where able to find one of the SNOWY OWLS that have
been seen in the area. At least one of the owls was reported to
still be in the area March 12.
February 21, Nancy Porter, a resident in Ukiah, reported there
were at least 50 Tundra Swans on the Ukiah settling ponds.
February 21, George and Leanne Ruby birded to Ukiah via Al-
bee Road. George reported that it was 37 degrees with light
snow on the ground and snow
flurries. Highlights of the trip
included Western Bluebirds,
Wild Turkeys, a Northern
Shrike and a Say's Phoebe. The
Ruby's counted a total of 19 spe-
cies during the their travels.
February 22, Aaron Skirvin
(Aaron) and Diana LaSarge
(Diana) decided to look for birds
in the southern part of the
county. Highlights included the
2 overwintering Sandhill
Cranes in the area they had
previously been reported 1.2
miles north of Pilot Rock.
They counted 12 Bald Eagles, 6 Golden Eagles, and a Chukar
in Jack Canyon, 2 Northern Shrikes, 5 Townsend's Soli-
taires, several Western and a few Mountain Bluebirds around
Ukiah and Albee and about 100 Wild Turkeys on the eastern
edge of Ukiah.
On the same day, Chris Burford reported several Evening
Grosbeaks showed up in his home in Pendleton. On February
27, Chris reported there were over 12 males and females using
their feeder as well as 3 Spotted Towhees and several Varied
Thrushes they had been seeing this winter.
February 28, Dan Baum had a Spotted Towhee
briefly visit his neighbor’s back yard. The next
day, Dan decided to see if he could find the Snow
Bunting and SNOWY OWLS reported previously.
He failed to find any Snow Buntings, but was able
to locate one of the SNOWY OWLS on Watts
Road. February 28, a Sharp-shinned Hawk made
a brief visit to his yard.
February 26, the WWW Bird-
ers, including June Whitten
(June), Diana Dillenburg
(Diana D.) and Jean Reiher
(Jean), ran the northern Uma-
tilla county raptor survey.
Their count was 79 Red-tailed
Hawks, 30 American Kes-
trels, 2 Northern Harriers,
one adult Bald Eagle, one
Prairie Falcon, 2 Cooper's
Hawks, and one Great Horned
Owl on a nest. Along the
Walla Walla River Road they
were sad to discover the
TRUMPETER SWAN re-
ported earlier on a pond near the road, had died and
was lying on a small island in the pond. Driving up
the Walla Walla River to the bridge to Harris Park,
the group found the first Dipper reported this year.
June reported they found only one Rough-legged
Hawk on the trip and located another Great
Horned Owl on a nest.
March 5, Connie Betts (Connie) birded at McKay
Reservoir and found the year’s first Osprey. Some
of the other species she observed included a juve-
nile Bald Eagle, Black-billed Magpie, lots of
February – March Sightings
Wild Turkey photo by PBC member Diana LaSarge.
Kakya Taymut, Pendleton Bird Club Newsletter Volume 13 No. 3 March, 2015 Page 9
American Robins, Dark-eyed Junco, Northern
Flicker, Downy Woodpecker, Red-winged
Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, Loggerhead
Shrike, Mallard, Canada Goose and Western
Grebe.
March 4, while driving home
from work, Diana saw a young
Golden Eagle soaring circles
over St. Mary's Catholic Church,
flying very low over the houses
and the gas station there. This is
a very unusual sighting for down-
town Pendleton. March 5, Diana
heard her first Killdeer at the
Nixyaawii Governance Center
(main office for the Umatilla
Tribe) north parking lot. She said
there has been a Killdeer staying
around the north parking lot and
buildings the past three years.
March 7, Frank Prindle was
sitting in his home at the top of North Hill, when
looking out the window he noticed a large black
bird flying toward his house. It landed on the
power pole on the edge of his yard and he was able
to confirm that it was a Pileated Woodpecker.
Pileated Woodpeckers are occasionally seen in the
city and I (Dave Herr) wonder if this was a young
bird displaced from its parent territory?
Aaron and Diana birded Echo Meadows the after-
noon of March 9, looking for Long-billed Curlews
and Sandhill Cranes. They were successful in
locating both species. They found 10 Long-billed
Curlews, the first reported this year. They found
Sandhill Cranes in 3 locations, estimating there
were more than 500 birds. They also found 8
Dunlins (new for the year) east on Emert Road and
6 Greater Yellowlegs (another new bird for the
county) foraging in a small pond just south of the
road.
March 10, Sherry Sallee reported that the last time
she saw the Anna’s Hummingbird that had been
visiting her feeder was March 7. Sherry notes that
the Anna’s Hummingbird was in their yard for
one day short of six months. Aaron speculates that
since Anna’s Hummingbirds breed this time of
year in southern California and probably western
Oregon, the bird may have left to look for a mate.
June and Jean were the only members of the WWW to bird
March 11. June reports there were lots of Sandhill Cranes still
on Echo Meadow, mostly on Andrews and White House Road.
There were also 5 Greater Yellowlegs on Emert Road as well
as a Great Horned Owl on a nest. There were at least two
visible Rock Wrens along
Rieth Road and probably
more calling. They also saw
Violet-green Swallows and
one Great Egret along the
route. During their travels
they noted numerous Red-
tailed Hawks, many on or
near nests.
Driving to Burns on March
11, Aaron found several Wil-
liamson’s Sapsuckers at Bat-
tle Mountain State Park, a
new species for the year. Re-
turning home on March 13,
Aaron found several Greater
White-fronted Geese on the
Pilot Rock sewer ponds, another new species for the year. In
the afternoon of March 16, Aaron saw a single adult Ross’s
Goose amongst a large flock of Cackling Geese. The flock
was feeding in a field on the north side of Stanfield Meadows
Road about 200 yards east of Mann’s Pond. It was the only
white goose in the flock.
March 15, Carolyn Featherston drove east on Stanfield Mead-
ows Road and saw an immature Eagle (perhaps a Golden) sit-
P BC Photographer Showcase
Pileated Woodpecker photo by PBC member Mike Morehead.
“Bohemian Waxwing” by PBC photographer Carolyn Featherston.
Kakya Taymut, Pendleton Bird Club Newsletter Volume 13 No. 3 March, 2015 Page 10
ting in a field. She also found the season’s first Yellow-headed
Blackbird and reported there were a group of 50 –75 Sandhill
Cranes east of Rosenburg Road.
The WWW Birders went south on March 18. Best birds of the
day were several Williamson’s
Sapsuckers observed in the Battle
Mountain area. There were both
Western and Mountain Bluebirds
(Mountain outnumbering West-
ern), mostly along Albee Road.
Lots of Evening Grosbeaks in
Ukiah and it appears Western
Scrub-Jays have made Ukiah their
home. There were 4 Sandhill
Cranes along the creek off High-
way 395 before the Ukiah exit.
Two Bald Eagles were feeding on
an elk where Cable Creek enters
Camas Creek. There were
Clark’s Nutcrackers along Cable Creek Road. Common
Goldeneyes, Redheads, Canvasbacks, Green-winged Teal
and Ring-necked Ducks were on Ukiah Sewer Ponds. The
group found Long-billed Curlews in several loca-
tions, but finding 23 Long-billed Curlews 1.2
miles south of Pilot Rock was unexpected. Al-
though it is getting late, Rough-legged Hawks are
still around, the group counted 6 or 7 during their
travels.
Several years ago Aaron
compiled a list of migrant
species that could be ex-
pected to arrive back in the
county during mid-April to
mid-May. This list is re-
published in this newsletter,
so check it out. Although it
is fun to go birding anytime
of year, this list adds an
additional incentive to get
out and see which newly
arrived spring species you
can find. Please send all your bird sightings, in-
cluding any new arrivals you find to me, Dave
Herr, at [email protected] or call 541-276-6413.
Canvasback photo by PBC member Jim Ward.
Newsletter Editor: Position vacant
Email Address:
Technical Editor: Aaron Skirvin, 541 215-0761
Email Address: [email protected]
Field Sightings Editor: Dave Herr, 541 276-6413
Email Address: [email protected]
Photo Editor and Newsletter Publisher:
Jack Simons, 541 276-8566 Email Address: [email protected]
Click on the link to visit
our club’s website:
www.pendletonbirders.org
A. Northern Flicker
B. Williamson’s Sapsucker
C. Hairy Woodpecker
D. Downy Woodpecker
Cool Facts About ”Woodpeckers” from Page 3...
Who Am I? from Page 3....
Wilson’s Warbler